Night Hikes' dreamy and wistful "Belltown" is inspired

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Belltown by Seattle's Night Hikes

“Belltown” was inspired by a moment I had one night as I was transferring buses in the Belltown neighborhood of Seattle. There was a woman in line ahead of me, eyes glued to her red high-heeled boots as she shuffled demurely onto the bus. She stood tall with broad shoulders, donning a long black dress and messy, dark hair that covered her downcast eyes. She carried with her a sense of deep longing to be invisible. It seemed to me a sense born out of necessity, as if she had been seen and been hurt and felt safe only in the background. She didn’t lift her eyes even once as she disappeared slowly into the back of the bus.

“Belltown” is the song we wrote for this woman. It is a song for her as she wakes up each morning and sees herself in the mirror, knowing that how she wishes to present to the outside world and how the world chooses to see her will never be the same. Yet even as she hides amongst the crowd, when she draws into herself, she has a rich and vibrant inner life. Her reality exists in her mind, the place in which she never has to doubt her body, her clothes, her mannerisms, or her very existence. At the end of the song, we find her realizing that her vitality is in her own hands, and that choosing to be more than the summation of others’ expectations is her ultimate power.

Sparse at first, the hushed, spacious vocals and velvety, chorus-laden guitar play amongst the dancing cymbals as if coaxing her into the safety of a lullaby. Yet as the song progresses and the instrumentation builds, the melodic synth overtones and cheerful, fluttering bass draw her into a sense of her own strength, held together by the assertion that “She might be the one she really needs.”

-- Olivia Godby, Night Hikes

About NIGHT HIKES

 Olivia Godby and Matthew Farrell were once kicked out of a chapel at the University of Notre Dame for recording a music video instead of praying. Unfazed by the rigid campus attitudes, the two took Night Hikes to the blossoming local scene to develop their sound. In their pensive songwriting, they immediately prioritized balance, not only between dark synth and glimmering guitar, but also between Godby’s imaginative storytelling and Farrell’s keen ear for melodies and production. After finishing school in 2016, they rented a house and spent the summer recording their first release, The Blue Hour, which was mixed by New York based engineer Rusty Santos (Animal Collective, Beach House). 

The band then moved to Seattle to focus on refining their songwriting in 2018. On the resulting record, Chalice, the pair strive to recover the long silenced feminine principle, refusing to accept that violent power dynamics are inherent to human nature. Godby and Farrell each float seamlessly between guitar, keys, and vocals amidst the ghostly natural reverb of the old Catholic church in which they recorded, this time with permission. Lush guitars reminiscent of Slowdive find their counterpart in bellowing synth and organ melodies. Over carefully crafted and sampled drums, the pair create space for their intimate, introverted vocals, making for a record that delivers as much rainy-day shoegaze as beachy dream pop.

On stage, the two alternate lead vocals, eager to display the dynamic partnership that is so integral to their songwriting. Godby and Farrell often switch instruments mid set, like two best friends quietly exchanging a secret. Following a string of summer shows in Seattle, the band is planning a West Coast tour for the fall to promote Chalice.